Blue Bell and Bluebonnets...doesn't get any better than that!

Recently Kendall and I took a day to have a Mommy & Me adventure. We headed up 290 in search of blue bonnets. I had also been wanting to take her to the Blue Bell Creamery, but since they are closed on the weekends it's been near impossible for us to make a family trip up there.
So, Kendall and I just went on our own, leaving poor daddy stuck in the office.

Kendall had a fantastic time at the Blue Bell plant (sorry, no pictures allowed inside the actual tour...it's all top secret stuff). Their tours are really fun (and short, thank goodness)...and they end in the most wonderful way...with a free scoop of hand-dipped ice cream! Kendall indulged in "birthday cake" flavor, which was admittedly pretty yummy.

Kendall's favorite part (outside of the ice cream eating) was running around on the gorgeous grounds outdoors, and she also enjoyed "shopping" their adorable gift shop. Definitely a fun day trip we recommend!

By the trademark Blue Bell girl & cow:

Sitting on the first freezer truck--circa approx. 1930s I believe.

A few lovely pictures in their pretty courtyard.



From there we headed out Hwy. 105 in search of a bluebonnet patch to take the Texas traditional kid-in-bluebonnet pictures that are a staple around here. The flowers were everywhere around us, but the biggest patches were behind fences (w/signs that said "no trespassing/private property") so we didn't risk it there. I found us a nice little patch on a stretch of road between Brenham and Navasota. I changed K's clothing and got busy snapping. Unfortunately Kendall wasn't as cooperative as I'd hoped--she was pretty mezmerized by all the beautiful blue flowers...so I did the best I could. Here are a few of my favorites from the bunch:







And we're done! (aka mommy's camera battery went dead)

Strawberry picking!

It was a gorgeous day out on Monday....clear and in the 70's...a perfect day to spend outdoors. So we headed to the local strawberry patch for Kendall's first strawberry picking experience. It's safe to say she LOVED the entire adventure!

She eagerly grabbed her bucket:


...and got busy picking!


She caught on pretty quick that you had to find the biggest, reddest ones....and to pull from the stem, not strawberry.


Look at these beautiful plants!


She stepped in a bit of mud (see her left foot), but even that wouldn't deter her:


She picked out several especially for daddy!


Showing off her goods:


So proud of herself!


She then brought them up to the counter to be weighed:


And then took a break on the branch of a big old tree nearby to try a taste.


Whew! All in a hard day's work.

Happy Spring!

We've been super busy around the Balfour house these days. Daddy & mommy both have a lot going on with work & Kendall stays super busy with her many activities.
Now that the weather is nice--Kendall loves spending time outdoors. Even more so now that she has a brand new play ground of her very own!
We'd contemplated getting one for about a year now, and the company was running a great special on last year's models, so we went for it. Kendall couldn't be more thrilled!

These are some pictures of Kendall checking it out for the very first time a few weeks back:



She totally loves the swing the best:

But the slide is fun, too!

Kendall and her daddy enjoy playing outside together on the weekends when mommy is at work & Kendall also loves having her friends over to play with her during the week. Even one of the cats, Bailey, has played with her on it! Kendall thinks he likes the slide best!


The only person less than thrilled with this new contraption is the lawn guy! But luckily for him, our back yard is now at maximum capacity....no more room for anything else!
Hands down, a great investment that should last us many, many years!

A little thank you shout-out to those of you who donated to her Playground Fund for last year's birthday! We did (finally) put that $ to good use!

Happy (belated) Valentines Day!

So, mommy got a little behind with blogging....wedding season has definitely gotten underway!


Kendall has also been keeping busy! Before Valentine's Day, Kendall and I hosted a cookie decorating party for our playgroup. Kendall really enjoyed "helping" make the cookies* and especially loved decorating her cookies with icing & lots of sprinkles, of course!

Next, we had a Valentine's day party with our playgroup. So I made these for us to share with our friends:
It was held at a local indoor playgroud and we had a great time! Kendall loves interacting with all of her friends:

Kendall taking a snack break with her good friend Rowan!

* None of the cookies Kendall "MADE" were made available for human consumption.

Crafty girl!

Kendall loves school! She loves her teachers, her friends, music class, playing outside on the playground, and especially making arts & crafts. So much so that I decided to try our luck at a paint-your-own-pottery place. She did pretty good, although it didn't hold her attention for too long (mommy had to help). But she enjoyed herself. In 12-14 days we shall have a fabulously glazed & fired ice cream dish, made by yours truly.

Just a swingin'

Kendall LOVES gym class. We go with our playgroup a few times a month and she adores it.
She especially loves the rings. She'll grab on,

swing until her arms can no longer support her,

then let go and land on her feet. It's so fun to watch.

She's quite the little monkey.

Jumping for JOY!

Doesn't this picture tell it all? This little bear LOVES the trampoline that Santa got her (and daddy so painstakingly assembled) for Christmas!

She is a hoot on it....trying to do the "splits" like mommy showed her! She sure does have a LOT of energy and this is a great way to let some of it out!

Such fun, this little one!